Haunted
by PurpleTwizzlers
Summary: AU. "Somebody! I'm right here! I-I'm right here!" Lance gets into an accident in front of Keith's eyes. He opens his eyes to find himself a lost soul or ghost. Keith sinks into a depressive state, Pidge goes practically insane over trying to find a way to contact him, and the others react their own ways. Split endings. REVIEWS ARE MORE THAN WELCOME.
1. Chapter 1: The Tragedy

The sun poured out of the sky gently and warmed the chilled earth below slowly. The sky was gray, and the ground was powdered with frost.

Keith and Lance had planned to meet at the local café before heading to work. It was Lance's favorite, and Keith couldn't complain about the coffee.

Lance wore a gray shirt with a blue jacket, jeans, and slippers. Keith wore a black, long sleeved t-shirt, red vest, jeans, his signature, fingerless gloves, and combat boots.

"I miss the gang," Lance moaned.

"You'll see them in like an hour," the black-haired boy grumbled, taking a sip of his equally dark coffee.

"Yeah. At least we boys get a minute alone," the young man in the blue jacket said, wriggling his eyebrow.

"Cut that out," Keith scolded.

"The barista over there is kinda cute."

Keith rolled his eyes. He didn't mind his friend being flirtatious, but it drove him insane when he was around. Lance embarrassed him, to be frank.

"Let's go," Keith decided. "We were late yesterday. Might as well be early today."

"You're just scared Shiro will get mad," Lance laughed.

The boy in red put a hand on his hip and started walking out, knowing his comrade would follow. "I'm not scared. Our boss has us there early for a reason, that's all."

"He's like the only guy who hasn't fired you for blowing off work so much, you dropout," Lance taunted. "And you went from the I-don't-care-what-the-world thinks to a suck-up."

"Shut up."

Lance laughed.

Red turned to green.

"Lance, _look out!_ "

The world turned into slow motion. Lance was in the middle of the crosswalk, an eighteen-wheeler truck creeping up on him. Keith couldn't seem to move.

 _ERkkkkkKk!_

Blood.

Blood and metal.

Keith stared in horror at the image. His friend's mangled body was trapped under the truck.

He whipped out his phone.

"Keith!"

He dialed a number.

"Keith, I'm right here!"

"L-Lance! He got hit by a truck and-!"

An officer phased through the entity. "W-What?"

"He's _dead_!"

Lance looked around, terror-stricken. At his right was the morbid scene. He looked down at his shaking hands. They were transparent. His entire form was transparent. He ran up to Keith.

"K-Keith! It's okay! I'm right here!"

Lance ran through Keith. Keith shuddered.

Lance slowly turned his head. He…. Was he…. A ghost?


	2. Chapter 2: Aftershock

The funeral was depressing as heck. Lance's friends only came out of obligation.

Hunk was a bawling mess in his seat so he could not bring himself to speak. Pidge took his place, but she was more than somber.

"Lance was… eccentric, to say the least," she said. "A bit flirtatious, but his energy was unrivaled. In my darkest day, he made me smile. He brought warmth to the coldest of situations by being himself. I'm… going to miss him."

Pidge's words fell on the numb ears of the audience. Keith was in his dapper suit, arms crossed and slumped over in the bathroom. His face was buried in his arms. Shiro walked in.

"Keith."

"Shiro, leave me alone," he said weakly.

The man crouched down to his level. "Keith, look at me."

The boy looked up at him. For the first time in who-knows-how-long, he was crying. His hair was a mess, tears were running down his face, and his fingers were twitching.

"It wasn't your fault," Shiro said.

"You can't say that!" he yelled, slamming his fist on his knee. "I was there! I could've-"

Shiro shoved his face into his chest- a paternal gesture he had learned with age. Keith went wide eyed, the waterworks halting for just a moment. His gaze softened as the tears poured again, and his hands clenched onto Shiro's shirt.

"Keith! I'm right here!"

Lance was standing behind Shiro. He was shaking. "Everyone! I'm right here!"

As expected, no one heard him. No one heard him for years.

00oo00

 **Time Skip: Two Years**

Pidge hadn't let go of Lance. She was determined to find a way to get Lance back. Professor Allura and her mentor, Coran, assisted in her research. The results thus far were just as bleak as the weather.

January. The sky was gray and heavy with thick clouds that completely blocked the sun. There was no snow. Instead, it was bitter cold and windy. Ice was a problem that made driving impossible.

Shiro had moved on, but kept a close eye on Keith. Hunk had moved on, as well.

Lance, however, was just depressed. He couldn't "rest in peace" because of the amount of hope he had. He wanted his friends to know that he was still there instead of being ignored but acknowledged at the same time. The only time things like he was were acknowledged was

If they were haunting.

But Lance couldn't bring himself to do that. Not even to Keith.

But still… Lance had to wonder: what if he found a loophole?


	3. Chapter 3: The Mirror

Keith woke up from a dreamless sleep. His hair was unruly, his eyes were weighed down by thick bags. The sheets were struggling to stay on the mattress. He stood up and looked in the mirror.

Lance stood behind him, but his reflection didn't exist. His 'body' mimicked his usual appearance, but he was transparent.

"You need to cheer up, mullet," Lance chuckled, brushing back his hair. He spun on his heel and faced Keith.

Lance could see Keith's frame rise and fall with every breath. If he had the ability to feel, he could've felt his hot breath tickle his tanned cheeks.

"You're getting more and more emo," he criticized, forcing a smile. The smile transformed from a forced one to a mischievous grin. "Maybe it's about time I bent the rules. You'd approve, wouldn't you? I mean you _did_ drop out."

Lance's fingers danced on the dresser. Keith looked away and started walking to the kitchen. He ate breakfast in solitude.

Keith watched his spoon travel to his mouth. His thoughts drowned out the sounds of everything. _It's freezing… I should turn on the heater._

He dumped the bowl into the sink and made his way to his bedroom. He crouched down and turned on the heater. It made a ferocious growl that he was accustomed to. He stood upright, staring at it for a few seconds. He liked fire and heat. Sweating was a sign of challenging work and he felt useful when he was on the verge of collapsing from pure exhaustion. Winter stole that pleasure from him.

Once he felt the room warm up slightly, he left to take a shower.

He liked his showers scorching hot. It would redden his pale skin and cure a cough with the inevitable steam. He liked the feeling of the water in his long hair. He'd twirl with it as he mulled over things. Once his fingers turned wrinkly, he would wrap a towel around his waist and step out of the shower. He would take another, smaller towel that hung by the bathroom mirror to dry his hair somewhat.

This routine was ruined.

When he reached for the towel to dry his hair. He froze.

On the fogged-up mirror, there was writing.

'I'm still here

-Lance'


	4. Chapter 4: The Crack

Keith fumbled for his phone and hastily dialed Pidge's number. Before he could hit the 'call' button, an invisible finger added more writing to the mirror.

'Relax, mullet.'

"How am I supposed to relax?!" Keith yelled. He ran out of the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

Lance sighed and followed. One perk about being a ghost: you could walk through solid objects at will.

He found Keith holding a knife defensively and a phone attached to his ear.

"Pidge," he panted. "I think Lance's ghost is in my house."

"Are you suggesting that the paranormal may actually exist?" Pidge returned.

" _Yes_."

"If that's true, then maybe…" pause. "I'm on my way." Pidge hung up.

Lance sighed. _Great_ , he thought. _I'm noticed but now they're freaking out._

Perk number two about being a ghost: you could also fly.

Lance hovered just above the floor and stared at Keith's phone screen. 12:32 pm. Keith busied himself playing chess on his phone in an attempt to calm himself. The ghost watched, never really caring about the game before.

About ten minutes passed and there was a knock on the door. Keith stuck his phone in his pocket and made his way to the door. Pidge was there with a backpack. She had kept her usual haircut over the years, but wore slightly more feminine clothing. She wore a sleeveless shirt, shorts with suspenders (a guilty pleasure she had), and sneakers. She brushed by Keith.

"So, where's the ghost?" Pidge asked.

"I'm right here," Lance answered plainly.

"I don't know," Keith replied.

"Then how do you even know- "

The black-haired boy interrupted her. "When I stepped out of the shower earlier, I saw writing on the mirror."

"Is your heater on?"

He nodded.

"Then there's a chance the writing was preserved!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Pidge hastily made her way to Keith's bathroom. It was faint, but the writing was still there. Her excitement was replaced with shock. She reached out to touch the name and closely examined it.

"I worked hard on that," Lance criticized.

Pidge swallowed her breath and turned to Keith, who was leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed.

"What do you think, Pidge?" he asked.

"Well, in usual cases, I would say more evidence is required," the short girl mused. "Since this is a personal case, I…"

"I'm right here, Pidge!" Lance screamed, punching the glass. It cracked. His eyes widened.

"The glass…" Pidge murmured.

"What?" Keith prompted.

"It cracked randomly. Lance? Are you here?"

"Yes!"

Pidge took out something from her bag. It was a container with flour. She scooped her fingers and tossed its contents into the air. Faintly, Pidge could make out Lance's silhouette. Keith saw, too.

"Lance!" he cried.

 _They saw me._ Lance could feel himself begin to cry.

Pidge ran into the image, arms wide in an embracive gesture. Lance opened his arms, too, but Pidge fazed through him. She slowed, arms still wide.

For a moment, Lance had forgotten he was a ghost. He fell to his knees and stared at his palms. Tears fell. "S-Somebody… I'm right here..."


	5. Chapter 5: Wind

"W-Well," Pidge recovered, "the flour was a temporary solution… But we need to find a longer lasting answer."

"Ouija board?" Keith suggested.

"Those are fake contraptions manufactured by people wanting to cash-in on people's grief or overwhelming curiosity on the supernatural," Pidge shot back.

"Then what-"

"I'll invent something. I'll need some help, though. Can you call Hunk while I get started?"

"Sure." Keith pulled out his phone and dialed the number, walking out of the room.

Pidge stayed, pulling out her laptop. Lance had cut the waterworks, but was still damaged.

He didn't know what to do. He wanted to hold Pidge tightly and mess up her hair. He wanted to punch Keith's arm and mock him. He wanted to eat Hunk's recipes again. He wanted to work with Shiro again. He wanted to flirt with Allura some more. He wanted his life back…

"Hey, Lance?" Pidge murmured.

Lance looked up at her. Her brown eyes were protected by her reflective glasses. The light of her laptop's screen bounced off them. He couldn't seem to block the light, as he expected.

"I know you're watching us since you tried to interact with me," Pidge continued.

"T-That's right!" Lance said excitedly.

"I can't exactly flour-bomb Keith's house, though. And I don't think you know sign-language, either."

"Hah. You got me there, Pidge," he replied sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

"I'm so close… yet so much farther."

Lance was quiet. He reached a hand out to brush the hair out of her face, but it went through.

"Hopefully this works."

Lance watched Keith come back in.

"Hunk wants to talk to you," the black-haired boy said.

Pidge took his phone and put it on speaker. "Hello."

"Hey, Pidge," Hunk replied. "So, about this Lance thing. Are you sure it's safe?"

"It's Lance. He wouldn't hurt us."

"But what if something goes wrong?"

"He's already dead," Keith spit out.

Lance tensed, biting his lip. He looked up at Keith. His gray eyes were sharp, but not with anger.

Keith had this horrible habit of pushing others away when he was most vulnerable. It was why he was so rough-around-the-edges when they first met. Lance didn't notice this, but Shiro did and explained this trait to him after the boys had gotten into a horrible fight.

"…Okay," Hunk sighed. "I was already driving to my apartment, so I'm like two minutes away. Pulling into your neighborhood now."

"Thanks, Hunk," Pidge said.

"No problem." He hung up.

Lance left the room to stand outside. The breeze was gentle and rustled the bare branches, producing a soft rattle. He missed the cold caress of the wind.

The gust changed direction as Hunk's yellow van pulled into Keith's driveway.

00oo00

 **Happy Thanksgiving to all the Americans! Happy last week of November to everyone else!**

 **Thank you guys so much for the positive feedback! You guys are amazing!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Plan

Hunk had a chicken burrito from the nearby, drive-through Mexican restaurant (if you could call it that) and a water. He picked up his beige satchel (which was too thick to be considered that) with his other hand and made his way to the door.  
"Hey, Hunk!" Lance greeted with just as much cheer as he would if Hunk could hear or see him.

Hunk unintentionally walked through him and knocked on the door. Keith opened it.

"Hey, Keith," he greeted in his usual manner.

"Hey," he returned, letting him in.

Immediately, Hunk got scared. His body rattled with anxiety as he slowly trudged through the hall behind Keith. Lance followed behind the mechanic, but was unnoticed, of course.

The boys met Pidge, who was still in the bathroom. The writing on the mirror had faded. Her eyes were fastened on her laptop screen, eyes behind her glasses burning with determination.

"So, Hunk," Pidge spoke, not taking her eyes off the computer, "you're a mechanic; help me brainstorm."

"W-Well, uh," he stuttered, "people in other places can contact spirits and stuff, right?"

"If it were that easy to just get a medium, I would've done it," Pidge said softly out of frustration with the whole situation. "It's a false practice. People use the belief they can contact spirits to fill in blanks of things they can't comprehend, and, of course, to comfort them."

Hunk hesitated before nodding. He had a serious expression on his tan face. He couldn't stomach finishing his burrito and threw it away.

"A-Are you sure he's still here?" Hunk asked slowly.

"Fog up a part of the mirror," Keith chimed in.

"What?"

"Just do it," he shot back sharply.

"And make it big," Pidge added in a calmer tone.

Hunk flinched and walked over to the mirror. He huffed a breath of balmy air, creating a cloud on the glass. He continued to do this until his lungs needed a break. Lance quickly seized the opportunity and started writing on his canvas. He wrote a bit smaller to conserve space.

'Hey guys.'

Hunk nearly screamed.

'Relax, Hunk. It's just me. Lance.'

Hunk visibly relaxed, but his expression was just as, if not even more so, distraught. He turned to Pidge.

"Couldn't we all just get hand-held mirrors?" he suggested.

Keith gave him a sharp look.

"Okay, okay…" Hunk sighed.

"According to my research," Pidge proceeded, "ghosts can open and shut doors. Lance, can you move objects?"

He was caught off-guard by the sudden question, but answered, anyway. 'No.'

"Then we can deduce you can't open doors, either. Hmm… how about messing with electronics? Have you tried it?"

Lance attempted to get into Pidge's computer. It worked, effectively glitching it out, but the laptop spit him out. His head was spinning. He missed pain and dizziness because it least it was _some_ genre of feeling. He stumbled to the mirror and wrote shakily. 'Never again.'

Keith smiled softly. He missed Lance's humor, even if it was literally the worst sometimes.

"Transformation into light?"

Pause.

'No.'

"What if we made glasses?" Hunk recommended. "Like those virtual reality-things to see and hear him?"

"Since he can't do anything!" Pidge said excitedly.

"Thanks, guys," Lance chuckled sarcastically. Truthfully, he was overjoyed at the concept.

"Hunk, you're a genius!" Pidge exclaimed.

"Thanks?"

"You must miss seeing and hearing me, huh?" Lance asked, chuckling to himself. "After all, I am _amazing_." Pause. _And maybe I am worth something to you guys after all…_


	7. Chapter 7: Shiro

3:46 AM.

Pidge was relentless in trying to get the Ghost Goggles (as dubbed by Hunk) to work. Hunk was on his second cup of coffee since Keith refused to let them slack. Speaking of the raven-haired boy, engineering was not his specialty. He could operate foreign equipment and technology with ease, but he was somewhat useless in creating original gadgets. He did help Pidge design it, though.

The logic behind the Ghost Goggles was simple: if Lance could be seen by spreading flour in the air, they needed to stimulate that phenomenon with the goggles. Lance's 'body' seemed to have the same logic as a laser- or at least the laser in between its origin and destination.

Between worlds.

The night, er, morning was quiet. Pidge was focused on her computer, programming the Ghost Goggles. Hunk was busy making the tangible workings of it. Keith would slip the device on every now and then to see if it was comfortable.

Lance hovered over them, occasionally looking over their shoulders to watch them work. He was excited. Pidge was a genius with tech, so if he had a shot, it was with her.

Lance smiled softly and hugged her gently. The part of his figure that would've made contact merged into her body.

 _Time skip: 2 hours_

Lance heard a car pull into the driveway. He went outside to see a black mustang and a familiar face. Lance moved aside (even though it wasn't necessary) so the man could unlock the door with his copy of the key.

The man looked around the house before getting to the rest of the team's workspace.

"What are you all doing here?" he asked in a chuckle.

Hunk woke up at the sound of his voice. Keith and Pidge snapped their attention to him.

Keith smiled gently and stood. "Shiro!"

"Hello, everyone."

"What's up?" Hunk asked groggily.

"I came here to check on Keith," Shiro answered. "What are you all doing here?"

"What a responsible dad," Lance laughed.

"Lance is here," Keith answered.

"Lance?" Shiro repeated, brow furrowing in concern.

"Yes," Pidge confirmed. "And we have evidence to prove it. The Ghost Goggles are almost done."

"Keith, can we talk for a minute?" Shiro asked, a hand placed on the mullet-haired boy.

He made quiet eye-contact with him before nodding. He led his unexpected guest to the kitchen.

"I'm not keen on this," Shio started. "I'm concerned for your mental health."

"My mental health?" Keith echoed. "Shiro, Lance is here. He wrote on the mirror and Pidge and I _saw_ him."

"This is getting out of hand, Keith," he said firmly. "First, it was depression. Now, it's denial?"

"You don't believe me?" Keith shot back in offense.

Shiro paused. "It's hard to believe."

"We'll show you," he retorted indignantly.

Shiro sighed before reluctantly following him. "Pidge, let's test them out."

"What? But they're not ready yet," she insisted.

"I don't care just do it!"

She narrowed her eyes in frustration and turned them on.

"Power On", the programmed, female voice said.

Pidge decided to be the beta tester. She slipped them on after detaching the Goggles from her laptop.

It was a bit static-y (something she'd fix later), but seemed to work.

"Okay, Lance, put on a show," Keith instructed.

Lance appeared in front of Pidge, his eyes pressed against the 'lenses' of the Ghost Goggles. Pidge jerked backward, yelling in surprise.

"Do they work?!" Hunk asked in shock.

"Yeah! I can see him! I can see Lance!"

Lance's face lit up. "Pidge! You can see me?!"

Pidge smiled broadly and nodded.

"Oh man…" Lance was so excited and happy he could barely breathe. "I missed you! I've missed all of you _so, so_ much!"

There was a high-pitched noise that made Shiro raise his eyebrows. The Goggles started sparking.

 _I miss you,_ Lance thought, happy tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Pidge, take them off!" Shiro ordered.

"No!" Pidge shot back. "He's here! Lance is right here!" She gestured to the empty space her friend occupied.

More sparking.

 _But I couldn't ask you to give yourself up for me._

" _Now_ , Pidge!"

"You can't tell me what to do!"

The crackling sound of the sparking got louder.

 _That'd be selfish._

"Pidge-!"

"You're not my father!"

 _For a seventh wheel._

There was a bright flash, then smoke. The Goggles were destroyed. Pidge chucked them off her. Her face was tainted with a black substance, and her bangs were burnt.

Lance stared at her wide-eyed. "Pidge?"

She was crying silently. Her eyes were screwed shut, but the tears still leaked out.

"That's _enough_!" Shiro snapped.

"No, Shiro!" Keith argued. "He was right there. Heck, he probably still is here!"

"Keith, don't you see what happened? Pidge could have _died_!" Shiro said firmly. He slammed his palm on Keith's shoulder. "Keith, Lance is gone, and there is nothing you can do to bring him back. You can't keep dwelling on it. You have to move on!"

Hunk had averted his gaze, feeling rather awkward.

Pidge stood up. "I'm with Keith. The technology just wasn't ready!"

Lance stood between the argumentative triangle, looking back and forth as each person spoke.

Shiro picked up the ruined Ghost Goggles. "I know you all miss him. I miss Lance, too, but… we have to leave him behind."

"Behind?" Lance echoed.

"He's gone," Shiro continued. "There's nothing we can do for him. What good what it do even if you _did_ contact him?"

 _That's true._

"I know your personality, Pidge," he added. "As a scientist, you always want more. Soon, it won't be enough, and then what? Do you plan on killing yourself?"

Pidge felt short of words. "No, I-"

Shiro set the Goggles down on the table, then brought his eyes back to his comrades. "Then let this all go."


	8. Chapter 8: Insecurities

"I hate him," Keith decided in a mumble. "I hate him so much."

Lance looked at him. He saw him shaking. His fists were white with anger.

"He's just trying to look after us," Hunk defended.

"Yeah, well he's not the boss of us," Pidge snapped.

Lance's mouth slightly opened, and his brow furrowed. His hands drooped by his narrow hips.

"We're so close," Pidge insisted. "I can feel it." She turned to Keith. "I saw him. I _heard_ him."

"I don't care what Shiro says; we're going to keep going," Keith said firmly.

Pidge relaxed a bit and got back to work. "Hunk, hand me the screwdriver."

Hunk did so. "Are you guys sure this is a good idea? Shiro had a point…"

Pidge's pupils shot to the corners of their ivories. "Are you _serious_?"

Hunk bit his lip.

"If you're having doubts, you can leave," Keith added.

He shook his head.

"Good," they said in unison.

Lance rubbed his arms.

 _This is… my fault. They're fighting because of me._

00oo00

 **Sorry for the delay with little payoff! I'm currently ill. Hopefully, the next chapter will be longer!**

 **Also, thank you so so much for the support! I love you guys!**

 **-Twiz**


	9. Chapter 9: Blue Lights

The trio had succumbed to drowsiness. Lance was left to listen to the ringing sound of silence.

Keith was in his unkempt bed, Pidge had fallen asleep at her computer, and Hunk took the couch.

The moonlight seeped through the windows. Lance could see in the dark, so it didn't matter to him. He sighed and made his way to Keith's room.

His face was contorted into a focused expression. Or distressed, Lance commented, depending on how you interpreted it. Lance craned his head above Keith's, then rested his forehead on Keith's. He fazed through. Instead of continuing, however, he found himself in a void with blue lights hovering about.

He looked around. "Since when could I teleport?"

"Lance?"

He looked to his left and saw Keith.

"Lance? Is that you?"

"Uh, yeah." He messed with his hands. He still couldn't feel. "Don't know how I got here, though."

"Then I know I'm dreaming," he grumbled.

Lance's heart stopped.

Dreaming.

Lance could communicate with him through his dream.

"Yes. Y-You're dreaming," Lance said, excitement bubbling into voice cracks. "But… I'm here."

"What?"

"I'm here! Right here!"

00oo00

 **I'm still sick.**

 **I'm so sorry for uploading the wrong chapter. I have no clue if it was a system error or a user error. Either or, I'm very sorry and I'm very embarrassed. To make up for that, the next two chapters will be merged to make it twice as long.**


	10. Chapter 10: The Lions

Keith broke into a sprint to hug him. Instead of fazing through, they made contact. The room went white, and the orbs turned into a pink. Lance wrapped his arms around him and let Keith melt in his grip. Lance was overflowing with joy, but… what changed?

He couldn't feel Keith, and he couldn't feel him.

Lance got distracted by the orbs. He couldn't feel Keith's tears staining his shirt. He couldn't feel his shaky panting. He could only hear and see.

Keith couldn't feel that much, either, to be fair; it was a dream. That made things surprisingly equal.

But what _changed_?

Keith could see the real him in the dreamscape. That was enough.

"Miss me, mullet?" Lance chuckled.

"Shut up," he retorted with a small laugh.

Lance smirked.

Keith pulled away from him and punched his arm lightly. "That's for dying on me!"

"It's not like I meant to," he laughed back.

Keith shook his head.

Lance went quiet. Being in his dream, he could hear Keith's thoughts and emotions. And what were they, exactly?

 **Happiness.**

 _I finally can see him again_.

"It wasn't your fault," he spoke up. "The accident."

Keith blinked, crossed his arms, and looked away.

 **Guilt.**

 _I could've done something._

"There was nothing you could do," Lance added. "Even though I wanted to die in a more dramatic-" he flipped the front of his hair and smirked, "-way. Maybe with some cute girl like Allura."

 **Annoyance.**

 _It's always about girls_.

Lance lightly laughed and shook his head.

"I just wanted to tell you that," he said.

 **Fear.**

 _Wait._

"It's not your fault," Lance continued.

 **Fear.**

 _Don't go_.

"And to mess with you again."

 **Terror.**

 _Lance, no._

"Now maybe I can rest in peace."

 _ **NO!**_

Keith pinned Lance into an invisible wall.

"You know how selfish that is?! What about the others?!" he snapped. "They want to see you, too!"

Lance blinked.

Keith let go of him and looked up. There, a mechanical blue lion laid in a mangled state. It was in terrible, unrepairable condition. Lance stood in the middle of the gap between Blue's paws. Behind Keith stood a similar one of a red color. It was in near perfect condition, but it had a few scratches.

"Huh?" Lance prompted, looking at the lions.

"Ignore them," Keith huffed irritably.

Lance looked to his left. A bulky, flawless yellow model of the lions laid. To Lance's left was a green lion that stood rather than sat. From a distance, he could see an impressive black lion sitting proudly in a shadow.

"Huh," Lance repeated in a statement. "That's new."

00oo00

 **Two chapters merged into one. Thank you, guys, for the reviews, follows, and favorites! They mean a lot to me! I especially love reading the reviews! Thanks!**


	11. Chapter 11: A Nightmare

"I said just ignore them," Keith grumbled.

Lance laughed and did anything but. He turned around to face the blue one. "Blue's in bad shape, huh? That supposed to be me?"

Keith crossed his arms. "Yes."

"Huh. Explains why Blue's still beautiful, even if she's in bad shape."

Keith's cheeks tinted pink. "Back on topic," he demanded.

"Keith, I know they miss me," Lance said simply. "I do, but like Shiro said-"

"I don't care what Shiro said!" he snapped. "This is _my_ mission, and I finally get to see you again! I get my _family_ back! Don't take that away from me!"

Lance winced at the word "family". His siblings. His mom. His dad. They missed him, and he returned the affection, but they moved on. Why couldn't his friends do the same?

"Keith, I-"

"Just go."

"Keith-"

"I said go. Rest in peace, or whatever."

"Don't shut down on me," Lance said, crossing over to him.

"I said _die_ already!" Keith yelled.

Lance froze. His heart, if he even had one, stopped beating. Tears filled his eyes and his pupils shrunk. He offered a shaky, forced smile.

"Okay," he breathed.

Keith reached out to him. "Wait, Lance, I didn't mean-"

Lance's body dissipated, leaving Keith alone in his dream.

A cold.

Dark.

Lonely.

Nightmare.

But it was _real_.

00oo00

 **Is it over? Hm…**


	12. VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

**Hey guys! I'm almost back from the holidays. I wanted to know that from this point forward,** ** _Haunted_** **is going to take two alternate routes. One will result in a happy ending, while the other will be sad and angsty. Each upload will have two chapters- one being for the happy plot, and the other being the sad-ending plot. It will be split. It sounds really complicated, but you'll see it being really simple. Anyway, that's all!**


	13. Chapter 12: Pidge's Dream-New Shades

**Sad Story:**

Lance was practically lost soul. He was too distressed to move on despite Keith's request for him to-

" _Die already!"_ Keith's voice echoed in his head.

He felt torn between the strong pull of two worlds. His spirit was growing stale in the tangible realm, but again, he wasn't at peace, so he couldn't let go.

Lance stood in Keith's house, hair shadowing his eyes. He looked over at the lightly sleeping Pidge. Ever since her brother's kidnapping (by who the Holts assumed were an underground gang), she kept on-guard 24/7.

That made him realize something. Pidge lost her biological brother suddenly and had no way of contacting him, and she lost her brotherly figure in a just as unexpected tragedy who was still technically there, just unreachable as far as she was concerned. Wait, Lance was like a brother to her, right? She was _definitely_ like a sister to him…

There was only one way to find out, and that was to enter Pidge's dream. Besides, he wanted to say goodbye.

00oo00

According to Pidge's dream, she was in her personal lab working on the Ghost Goggles. Lance's timing was weird.

"Yo, Pidge!"

Pidge shot up from her work, then she looked down at the Goggles in her hands.

"How is this possible?"

"It's really me," Lance said. "I promise."

Pause.

"Prove it," she said sternly.

"Prove it?" he echoed, his voice coming across as half-scoffing as it usually did.

"You heard me. Prove it."

This was going to be difficult, Lance decided. Pidge knew his flirtatious behavior he displayed to his comrades. If he explained how he was there, Pidge still wouldn't be convinced because of the setting. Fortunately for him, Pidge put her work ahead of her friends. This worked to his advantage.

"Well, this is a dream," he said slowly, "so that's how you can see me."

She nodded, urging him to continue.

"And I'm about to tell you something I haven't told a soul."

Pidge cocked an eyebrow.

"I actually like Keith's mullet," he stated without cracking a smile.

Pidge blinked, then she snorted, then started laughing. This made Lance smirk.

"Oh my gosh, Lance, it really is you," Pidge laughed, tackling him into a hug.

He stumbled back a bit, but remained standing. He hugged her back.

"Hi, Pidge," he chuckled, messing up her already unkempt hair.

"Hey, Lance," she returned happily.

They stayed like that for a long while before Lance broke the comfortable silence.

"I wanted to tell you goodbye."

Pidge froze. "Goodbye?"

"Yeah, I can't stay here forever."

Pause.

"No. No, I won't let you." She pulled away from him and met his soft gaze with her brown eyes that brimmed with determination and a hint of sadness she hid well from everyone but herself. "I'm so close, Lance. _We're_ so close."

"Pidge, I know, but I can't stay here forever."

"I know you can't, but can't you stay a little longer?"

"You can't bring me back to life," Lance said, forcing a light chuckle to lighten the mood a little.

"Souls don't die," Pidge retorted.

He blinked.

"I'll find away, Lance," she declared stubbornly. "I'll find away. And you're _not_ leaving yet."

"Pidge-"

Before he knew it, Lance was thrusted out of her head as she awoke to work on the real Ghost Goggles.

Little did either of them know that this was Pidge's first step into self-induced insanity.

00~~00

 **Happy Story:**

Keith woke up abruptly. Beads of sweat danced down his face. His body heaved with every heavy breath.

 _I screwed up._

He cursed at himself and raced to Pidge. She was working on the Goggles again.

"Hey, Pidge," he panted.

"Hi, Keith," she returned drowsily. "Bad dream?"

"I… saw Lance."

"Lance?" she responded with quickly. "What did he say."

Keith's irises shifted to his left. He squinted at the walls and his palms gripped his elbows firmly.

"He wants to rest in peace," he said.

"But we're so close!" Pidge protested. "Tell me you changed his mind."

Pause.

"I got angry," he said slowly and sheepishly.

"Tell me you kept your mouth shut," Pidge said, it coming across more as a warning.

Keith visibly wilted. "I screwed up."

Pidge groaned irritably. "Didn't Shiro teach you anything?"

"Yeah, yeah," he groaned. "Look, what's done is done. Can you help me or not?"

"The Goggles are repaired," she sighed. "If he's still here, then you'll see him. I even made a few modifications, so they won't explode again."

"Perfect, thanks," he replied hastily while throwing them on.

The small girl turned the device on and disconnected them from her computer.

"The battery only lasts thirty minutes as of now," she informed him. "Try to hurry."

He nodded, looked around the room, then ran to the next.

"C'mon, Lance, where are you?" he mumbled under his breath.


	14. Chapter 13: Making Connections-The Ghost

**Sad Story:**

Pidge's fingers pounded on every key. Her skin was pale and dark circles creeped from underneath her brown eyes. Every line of coding reflected on her glasses. Pidge wasn't one to drink coffee. If she had the option, she would choose hot cocoa. Despite this, she had gulped down three cups in three hours.

All Lance could do was watch with his lip stuck between his clenched teeth. If he could bleed, his lip would have busted from the pressure. He had to do _something_.

Then an idea popped in his head.

 _Shiro_.

He could get Shiro involved! He could talk some sense into Keith and Pidge and- wait no. Shiro _would not_ handle Ghost Lance very well. He would be patronizing, but still investigate. He would end up contradicting himself.

Lance blinked.

He couldn't get Shiro _directly_ involved, but maybe he could get Allura's attention. Shiro had a soft-spot for her, anyway. Besides, according to Allura, she was able to see her dad's spirit for a period after his death. It wouldn't be farfetched if Allura confronted Shiro about Lance.

That's that, then, Lance decided. He was going to talk to Allura.

00~~00

 **Happy Story:**

Lance stood in the guest room. He would often stay over at Keith's for one reason or another. Most of the time, it would be due to Keith's awkward invitation because the Cuban missed his family so much.

Lance's mind fabricated figures based on memories he had in the room. For instance, he could see himself sick with the stomach flu and Keith taking care of him in the adorkable way he did. Keith would watch movies with him until he fell asleep. He couldn't understand a word of it, but did his best to participate by providing commentary based on what he could see on the screen. It made Lance laugh so hard that it would make his gut even sorer, though. Worth it.

The boy's feet started hovering off the floor about an inch or so. The silence made his ears ring terribly.

It was abruptly interrupted by the sound of stomping. Lance whirled his head around to face the open door. He heard a thud. The coordinated Keith had tripped and fallen. He was quick to pick himself up and return to the room. His body leaned against the doorframe. Keith dripping was sweat. His body heaved with every breath and his hands shook. His mouth was slightly agape, and the ghost could hear faint panting. On his face was the Ghost Goggles.

"L-Lance," he panted

00000

 **Sorry for the delay and short chapter! I have had a lot of medical stuff come up and this story is actually difficult to write to an extent. Anyway, I may do a side fic of songs tied with stories. Y'know, Songfics. Anyway, bye! Thank you so much for the support! Don't forget to comment!**


	15. Chapter 14: Allura's Touch-Hey Brother

**Sad Story:**

Allura combed her fluffy, white hair. Her room was filled with the sound of her enchanting voice. Her record player was her accompaniment. Lance forgot how gorgeous the young woman was. It took him a moment of ogling at her beauty before he snapped himself out of it.

 _Now what?_ he wondered.

He was in the room with her, yes, but she didn't know that. How was he to contact her? She was already prepared to start the day. So, what was he supposed to?

Allura walked through him. She shuddered and turned around. Her vision flickered for a moment and a pained gasp escaped her lips. She fell to the floor in an elegant sort of way. Instinctively, Lance rushed to her aid. He placed his intangible hands on her shoulders.

"Allura, are you alright?" he asked hastily.

Her eyes focused on him, and her thick accent sounded lovelier than it ever had. "Lance?"

A massive smile spread on his face like butter. A chuckle escaped him, and he nodded.

She threw her arms around him, and surprisingly, she didn't fall. He returned the embrace. He could touch but couldn't feel.

"Oh, Lance!" she cried out. "It's so good to see you again!"

"You too, Allura," Lance laughed. "You miss seeing my out-of-this-world-looks?"

She pulled away and shook her head. She was much too happy to shut him down. She met his gaze.

"Why are you here?" she inquired with a smile.

"You don't think I'm here just to see the hottest girl in the universe?"

She cocked an eyebrow. "That can't be the only reason, I'm sure."

His smile dissolved in an instant. "I need some help."

"Oh?"

00~~00

 **Happy Story:**

Lance started staggering backward toward the window.

"Keith," he whispered. He sounded almost scared.

"Lance, wait," Keith begged. "I-I'm sorry."

The Cuban blinked in surprise.

"I shouldn't have said what I said," he continued, approaching him slowly. "I was just _angry_ , y'know?"

"It doesn't matter," Lance mumbled, gaze shifting back to the window.

"But it does!" Keith snapped.

His eyes shot back to comrade.

Keith ran his hair through his mullet. "Look, um…"

Lance took a step forward.

"I just… miss you," he said, voice cracking at the word 'miss'.

"You do?" he replied in a whisper.

"I don't hate you," Keith said. "I did at first, but I haven't for a long time. When you died, I didn't know what to do."

Lance's eyes widened, and Keith got face-to-face with him.

"You're like a brother to me, Lance."

 **0000**

 **Sorry for the delay! My health has gotten kinda bad sooo. Make sure to leave me your thoughts!**


	16. Chapter 15: Coran's Advice-Laughter

**Sad Story:**

"It's Pidge," Lance stated plainly. "I went to tell her goodbye, but…"

"But what, Lance?" Allura pressed softly, her hand brushing his forearm.

"You know how she sometimes gets tunnel-vision? Well, she… I'm scared that she may go insane."

"Mad?" she murmured, brows furrowing.

"I don't blame her," Lance admitted, chuckling sadly. "She did lose her brother, too. She just won't let me go." He smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "I don't mind clingy girls, but this is different."

"Shiro did call me about some device called Ghost Goggles," Allura recalled. "So she's trying to make contact with you that way? Through these goggles?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

"Just to see and hear you?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Well, that should be fine," she decided. "With her level of intelligence, she should repair the Ghost Goggles in a few quintents." She promptly corrected her native tongue out of habit. "-Er, days."

Lance didn't seem too convinced.

"This is a bit alarming," a voice interrupted.

Lance and Allura's attention shot to Coran. He was dressed in a bathrobe and had a cup of foreign tea in his left hand.

"Good morning, Coran," Allura greeted. "Lance is here."

"Is that so?" he said in surprise. "Hello, Lance!"

A smile tugged on his face as his serious expression melted.

"He's smiling," Allura informed her roommate.

"What is the occasion?" the man inquired.

"It's about Pidge," she said. "Lance came and reported his concerns on her state-of-mind. She is creating this device called Ghost Goggles to see him, but she's dedicated herself a bit too much to the project. I was just assuring Lance that as soon as they were complete, Pidge should be fine."

"I wouldn't be too convinced," Coran argued, twirling his mustache with his free hand. "This is Pidge we are discussing. Soon enough, just seeing and hearing him won't satisfy her. She'll want to touch him. And with that fair assumption, we can also guess that she will be driven to make a way to do just that."

Lance's eyes widened, and his fists clenched. "We can't let that happen."

00~~00

 **Happy Story:**

 _A brother?_ Lance's mind echoed.

Keith's face turned red, then he hastily defended himself. "I, uh, am not good at this 'emotions' thing so…"

He snapped his attention back to the ghost when he heard a poorly stifled chuckle. Lance then erupted into laughter. Normally, this would irritate Keith. This time was different; it had been so _long_ since he heard his friend laugh like that. And in that moment, the Cuban forgot about his death. Tears rolled down his cheeks in thick dollops but vanished before they could splatter onto the carpet below. His arms were squeezing his gut as he bent over despite the fact he couldn't feel pain.

"Oh man," he chortled, "I miss _laughing_."

Keith shook his head, smiling.

Once his laughter dissolved, the two stood in comfortable silence until Keith broke it. "Hey, Lance?"

"Yes, mullet?"

"Don't get too cozy with being a ghost," he said, slowly pulling the dead Ghost Goggles off his head.

Lance tilted his head in confusion. "What do you-"

"Because I'm going to find a way to bring your sorry butt back."


	17. Chapter 16: Trust Me-A Feeling

**Sad Story:**

Pidge soon repaired the Goggles and made them so they wouldn't have the same problem. Her strained eyes looked up at Keith, who was standing behind her laptop with a mug full of coffee.

"They're fixed," Pidge yawned.

"Look, Pidge," he mumbled, "I'm not sure this is a good idea."

"You called me, Keith," she retorted. "Besides, Lance wouldn't have contacted us if he didn't want us to do something. Trust me."

"I saw him last night," he admitted after a moment, taking a loud gulp of his drink. "I said something terrible."

"That explains the sudden change in behavior."

"You saw him, too?"

"He came to say goodbye. I didn't let him. Besides, the Ghost Goggles are now just to make-do as of now."

Hunk came in from the kitchen. "What do you mean?" he asked, mouth full of food.

Pidge's face twisted in a terrible way. An ominous smirk and a vacant gaze greeted the boys. Her voice came out in an empty-sounding tone. Her words came out slow. "We're going to bring him back from the dead."

"P-Pidge," Hunk stammered, "don't you think that's going too far?"

Keith found himself at a loss for words. The last time he saw someone allude to them being _mad_ , was when Shiro had a PTSD episode. Seeing a man so stable and strong falter at traumatizing memories rattled the mullet-haired boy.

"Of course not," Pidge insisted. "Trust me."

00~~00

 **Happy Story:**

Lance's chest started to throb with overwhelming warmth.

Warmth?

His hand shakily found its way to his chest and a smile tugged at his lips.

Keith found himself humming while walking down the hall to return Pidge's Ghost Goggles.

"You found him?" Hunk asked in a yawn.

He nodded.

"Good," Pidge replied, plugging in the device to charge.

"So now what?" Hunk pitched in. "We leave him alone now, right? I don't like the thought of playing with ghosts." He shuddered.

"Not yet," Keith stated. "We're not quite done here."

Pidge and Hunk exchanged confused looks.

00~~00

 **Next time, we'll try to make the Happy Story longer. Haha. I'm LOVING reading your feedback!**


	18. Chapter 17: Allura's Call-The Barrier

**Sad Story:**

Lance made his way back to Keith's house to keep an eye on Pidge. Upon his departure, Coran advised Allura to call Shiro.

"Hey, Allura," he greeted.

"Hello," she replied. "How are you?"

"I'm doing alright. What about you?"

"Yes, I'm just fine. Thank you for asking."

"What's going on?"

That was Shiro for you- straight to the point.

"It's about Lance," Allura said slowly.

She could feel a 'not you, too' vibe radiating from her smartphone. She cleared her throat to relieve the tension quickly.

"You're aware of my ability, correct?"

"Yes," he said simply.

"Well, I saw Lance earlier. He warned me about something troublesome."

"What is it?" he pushed.

"Pidge."

00~~00

 **Happy Story:**

What he proposed was ambitious, even in Pidge's opinion. His idea left the room eerily silent.

"Keith, souls don't die," Hunk said slowly, breaking the silence.

"And though science have broken down the components of the human body," Pidge added, "bringing someone back to life isn't something that has ever been done."

"C'mon, Pidge," Keith pressed, "you like doing the undone, right?"

"Yes," she replied, "but this is different. I'm not sure this _should_ be done."

"Yeah," Hunk agreed. "Bringing back the dead?"

"Lance isn't dead," Keith shot back immediately. "He's still here."

His glare shut Hunk up in an instant, but Pidge was unfazed.

"Okay, sure," she said, rolling her eyes. "Well, bringing him back to his body isn't something I'm not sure is something that should be tried. I mean, this isn't worldly stuff."

"Actually," Hunk spoke up. "It could potentially work. Lance can't like _possess_ anyone because the vessel is occupied, right?"

Pidge nodded.

"But maybe if he entered something that could support his soul, it could work."

She wasn't too convinced.

"Like, a body that's just lacking a soul," Hunk continued. "But Lance would need to be completely willing and something would need to stick the two together permanently.

"A soul is not what makes a heartbeat," Pidge argued. "A machine can do that. What we're trying to do _can't_ be done by science. It's above us."

He bit his lip. Then there was their beliefs- the ultimate barrier between mankind.

00~~00

 **Hey guys! It's me, Twiz!**

 **From this point forward, I wanted to write a disclaimer. The whole supernatural realm is a touchy subject. Whatever I write, or the outcome of the story, doesn't represent my beliefs toward the subject. Also, as a fictional writer, I try to make some sort of logic toward any fantastical occurrence. For example, teleportation would be manipulation of time in a brief interval (don't steal the idea). Do not attempt anything in this story.**

 **I doubt any of you read ^that^ (I wouldn't), but it's mainly there for my clear conscious.**

 **ANYWAY: I** _ **love**_ **reading your feedback! Truly, I do! Thank you guys so much for the support!**


	19. Chapter 18: What Matters Most-For Lance

**Sad Story:**

"They're trying to bring him back, aren't they?" Shiro asked lowly.

"Not yet," Allura reassured him. "I helped her in her initial stages of research, too. I didn't think it would go this far; I did it to help mourn with her." She swallowed the guilt. "They're first repairing the Ghost Goggles. However, knowing Pidge, it won't be enough for her; especially with her brother absent. We both know how ambitious Pidge is. Although one of her most admirable qualities, it is a trait that can easily get out of hand."

He nodded. "Yes."

"It is too early to send her to an asylum," she said with a slow, tense tone. "And I really don't want to do that."

"It'll be a last resort," he soothed. "Let's not think that far away; there is still time for us to stop her where she is."

Allura nodded. "You're right. Thank you, Shiro."

"Any time."

"So how do you propose we disband this now?"

"I've already tried to stop them once," Shiro sighed. "I could try again, but they'll completely shut me out."

"If they won't listen to you, they certainly won't hear me."

"Not necessarily. But if we act too fast, they will move."

"Coran could use their phones to triangulate their positions," Allura promptly said, pride hinting in her voice.

"Pidge will think of that, too. She'll probably mask it somehow."

She deflated. "Then what do you recommend?"

There was a long silence between them until Shiro finally broke it.

"She values family most of all."

00~~00

 **Happy Story:**

Hunk's bulky fingers shakily made their way to the barely-charged Goggles. He put them and turned them on.

"What are you…." Keith mumbled.

Pidge just watched curiously.

Hunk started tearing up when he saw his friend. Memories of Garrison Highschool rushed to him. The night-adventures, sneaking into the girls' locker room (despite Hunk not wanting anything to do with it), the rumors of a certain mullet-haired boy punching Principal Iverson in the face, sharing family stories, and so much more. What broke him of his trance was Lance's carefree voice.

"'Sup, Hunk? Long time no see."

Hunk wanted nothing more but to throw his arms around the Cuban boy's body.

If only he had one.

"Oh, man!" Hunk laughed, rising to his feet and approaching Lance. "Long time is right."

Lance smiled. "How ya been? Have you lost weight?" He poked at his stomach.

"Nah. Things have been good, but not the same without you."

"Of course not!" he declared haughtily. "I'm one-of-a-kind! There's no way you could move on from ol' lover-boy Lance~!"

Hunk snorted in laughter, earning a pout from the boy. Hunk ran his hand through his mahogany brown hair and met Lance's calm, oceanic gaze. "It's really good to see you, Lance."

His smile grew. "You, too, _hermano_."

The Goggles powered off from the lack-of-battery. Hunk pulled them off his head, struggling a little bit, then looked at Keith. His brows narrowed, and his warm, brown eyes were blazing with determination. He held out his hand.

"Let's get to work."

The mullet-haired boy smiled slightly and took the palm with a resounding clap.

"Wait a minute," Pidge interrupted. "Are you absolutely _sure_?"

"For Lance," Keith decided gently.

His newly freed hand found its way to Pidge's shoulder. She had never seen the hot-head act so gentle before. His eyes, though, weren't so much as gentle as they were insecure and doubtful; at least, behind the confidence he had in the project.

 _Probably because he feels like he's finally fixing his mistake_ , she assumed, her mind flashing to Lance's casket.

Pidge put a hand over Keith's and met his gaze. "For Lance."

 **00oo00**

 **Wow, guys! Long time, no see! Sorry for the wait! My health got in the way and I haven't been feeling overly motivated. This story is about half-way done, by the way. That's part of the reason the updates are kind of short in comparison to some authors like IcyPanther!**

 **Thank you, guys, so much for the feedback and support!**

 **Question of the Update** **: Which story do you prefer more: the sad story or the happy story? And why?**

 **Leave your answer in the comments, and I'll give a shout-out to you in the next update!**

 **-Twiz**


	20. Chapter 19: Low Blow-Vacation Time

**I decided to start writing it up top!**

 **Shout Out to Guest (who signed their named Bean) for answering the Question of the Update!**

 _ **Question of the Update**_ **:** **Who do you think, of all the characters, I've written the most accurately? Keep in mind: people change in general, especially during times of grief!**

 **If you want a shout-out, DM me or comment your answer! You can still write reviews, though.**

 **FUN STUFF: I have an Instagram, now! Follow me renee_riceball. I post a bunch of art, mostly fanart- including Voltron! If you follow me and DM me with an art request, I'll do my best to get to it! Anyway, on with the story!**

 **00oo00**

 **Sad Story:**

It was a low blow- even for Shiro.

Pidge was both furious and broken-hearted. She felt betrayed.

"Please, Katie," her mother begged on the other side of the phone. "Let Lance go."

"Mom, I'm so close!" Pidge retorted. "You don't think I can do this? I won't stop until Lance is back with us!"

Mrs. Holt's voice grew more and more desperate. "I've already lost Matt and Sam. I can't lose you, too!"

"You won't. This is _me_ , we're talking about!"

"I know, and that's what scares me! You're very ambitious and have tunnel-vision when you work on projects…"

"Exactly. I'll be done in no time," Pidge replied quickly.

"Katie, please. I-!"

She hung up. It hurt her heart _so_ much, but sacrifices were necessary. Lance was in her grasp; no one was going to take that from her.

00o00

Shiro's eyes narrowed as his thoughts swirled in his head like a storm. Mrs. Holt had called and told him about the confrontation.

The question was: what next?

Would he seriously have to commit her to an asylum?

He didn't let it show, but the very thought sickened him.

But if they didn't act soon, it'd be too late.

"You're an adult," he mumbled to himself. "Making decisions like this is your job."

00~~00

 **Happy Story:**

"Bodies are well-preserved underground if the casket is well-protected," Pidge mused, pacing the floor. "Where was he buried?"

"His family wanted him buried at sea," Hunk replied, eyes following her route. "They said it was what he'd want."

Keith shook his head. "But that didn't happen. Shiro convinced them to have him buried in Cuba."

Lance nodded. He remembered Cuba bittersweetly. Part of the reason they left for America was the instability. He was a child, though, so he didn't understand it until he was older. He remembered the beaches, the waves that poured in to rob the hot sand. He remembered the romantic language of Spanish and the music.

"So, we're going to Cuba?" Hunk asked.

"Pidge," Keith spoke up. "His body was… destroyed."

Lance shuddered. The car had killed him nearly instantly, so he died a relatively painless death. When he awoke dead, though, the memory of his corpse haunted him. His ribs jutted out of his chest, his hand was falling off and reaching for the unknown, and his legs were twisted in an unnatural way. His blood had pooled below him.

"Nothing we can't fix," she responded quickly. "The problem is money."

"Money?" Hunk echoed.

She nodded. "First, for plane tickets there and back, and other things we may need while we're there."

"Like food?"

Pidge nodded at her bulky-framed friend. "And another thing is operating tools. As long as the body can be repaired where it is in-tact enough to _technically_ be able to work, we should be fine."

"I have some cash," Keith chimed.

"You do?" Hunk asked, frankly surprised.

"I've been saving for college, but since I never went, it's sorta been rotting in my savings bottle."

"Bottle?" Pidge repeated.

"You know those massive bottle-things that they have for water at banks and stuff?" Keith explained, carving the shape with his hands into the air. "I have an empty one filled with money. It should cover it."

"What else?" Hunk prompted Pidge.

"We need the McClain family's permission to take his casket."

"There is _no_ way they'd let us," Hunk said.

"Why don't we just steal it?" Keith asked impatiently.

"And be grave-robbers?" the engineer responded. "No thanks."

"Then how do we get their permission, Hunk?" Pidge pitched in.

"Well, we can't tell them we're resurrecting their son. If we said it was for a school project, they'd be _horrified_. The anniversary of the wreck is soon. We could say we wanted to take him to the beach."

"Lie to them?" the Holt returned.

Even Lance was surprised. Hunk was very against lying.

"No, loophole," he corrected. "We do the experiment at the beach."

"In public?" Keith asked, eyes widening.

"Allura's private beach!" Pidge gasped in realization. "Hunk, you're a genius!"

He smirked haughtily.

Lance smiled brightly. Vacation time.


End file.
